Last night`s event wasn`t calling for a laid-back style. It
was one of those occasions when dolling up was on order. I am wearing a bespoke dress designed by Central Saint Martins` student,
made of neoprene and rabbit fur, and shoes from Topshop. Why? Because I was
meeting the acclaimed visionary - Nicky Haslam.
He was a guest of Daunt Bookstore, and delivered an hour-long
lecture on interior design, as part of a series of Marylebone Talks. A great
speaker and a flamboyant entertainer, this much-admired social arbiter recounted
a diverse range of inspirations that shaped his unique, super-chic, opulent but
equally liveable design style. Nicky Haslam generously shared sketches,
photographs, and scrapbooks to illustrate which design principles worked and
disclosed amusing anecdotes from his work as a sought after designer to rock
stars, and royalty.
I learnt that holding on to well-made pieces will pay dividends,
and that it was ok to use outdoor furniture (i.e. garden chairs) indoors. I
discovered that room corners were often tricky to decorate and that increasing the
height of the doors could impact dramatically on how the room could be
perceived. But my favourite lesson was about `faking it` - from putting
fireplaces where there was no chimney, to creating false columns or using
plaster to achieve impressive wall panels.
The designer signed his new book `A Designer`s Life: An
Archive of Inspired Design and Décor` and I already started referencing his
ideas as I plan to redecorate my apartment in London.
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